Humphrey roads qualify for state highway aid

The City of Humphrey’s roads and ditches were the main topics of discussion Monday night at the monthly meeting of the Humphrey City Council.

Mayor Alice Black said three of the city’s streets — Hickory, Mulberry and South Division — all qualify for a state highway aid program after officials with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) visited last month to review the city’s roads.

“I told them to pick one; they are all bad,” Black said.

The AHTD street aid program’s committee will next meet in June to decide the next recipients. “So we keep our fingers crossed that we will get approved,” she said.

The council voted to replace half of the street and stop signs needed. Black said the full cost to replace all of the signs would be about $800, however she added it would help the city’s finances to replace half the signs now and the rest later.

Alderman Cleveland Hatch said missing signs, including stop signs, should be replaced first as well as speed signs.

An ordinance to lower the speed on two streets will also be on next month’s agenda. Alderman Jimmy Carr said speeding is getting out of hand on Harrington and Cyprus streets with police unable to write tickets because the speed limit is not posted.

The ordinance would lower the speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 15 on Harrington from South Division to Cypress and Cypress from Harrington to West South Avenue. Carr said the streets are too narrow to warrant a faster speed limit.

In other business, the city is still working to make all the necessary repairs for its two police cars. It has also received a notice from the Arkansas Department of Finance stating it has not receiving reconciliation for withholding and a notice from the IRS stating it has not received the 941 Form for the quarters of June, September and December 2011. City officials said both matters would be corrected this week.

Black said the city’s annual spring cleanup would be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 17-18, at the city wastewater plant property.